The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1887-06-03
welded In DEATH.
Chapter from the Grim Story Of CIiarlcston's s
B0mbardmcnt.

A Chapter from the Grim Story OF Charleston IS
Bombardmcnt.
Philadelphia Press.
Across the level tongue OF land from
which the battle-scarred, earthquake
shaken city of Charleston looks East
ward stretch the grass covered mounds
| which are all that is left of the mighty
Qualifications that Lee and Beaure-
gard built and armed nearly a quar-
ter OF a century ago. Approaching
the bank tapped by the lazy wavelets
OF the Ashley, these traces OF the de-
fensive works OF that era ran North
ward OF n peaceful burial-gr ound in
which the dropping branches of the
magnolia and palmetto trees sweep
the tops OF the stones that record the
names OF men and women who have
found rest beneath that sod in the
generations that have passed since the
stalwart and splendid Huguenot pill
grims who have escaped Carriere's
massacre established the city
and the state. A perpetual peace
dwells upon the spot; the fra.
GRANGE OF roses and magnolius per-
tunes the atmosphere; theremnants OF
the forts have been smoothed by the
indomitable hand of time into fitting
semblance with the scene; veterans OF
the arborcal growth the scars OF the
shot and shell that once whistled and
screamed from the great guns of Dahl
gren's monitors and Gilmore's batter
les over this lovely Gods Acre OF the
Southern land; and between the leaf
age of the sturdy trees the visitor
catches elimpses OF famous old st.
Michael's spire and all the broad ana
beautiful vista of river, city and sea
that extends to the horizon of the At.
lantic. 1t is the ancient and venera-
BILE cemetery OF Christ Church Parish.
around which Beauregard drew his
militery lines OF decentralization and
SO brought the rude and noisy hustle
OF war into intrusion upon the ever
lasting sleep OF South Carolinians
who had preached notification and
talked states rights five lustrums be.
fore speech became powder and shot
and bloodshed.
The western sun bathes in golden
glory one OF the most prominent mon
uments in this city OF the dead--a
slender and graceful marble shaft
crowning a turfed hllock that from
time to time blooms with the profit
gate beauty OF flowers that bespeaks
assiduous and indefatigable care for
the memory OF the tenant OF the tomb.
On the face that is turned toward the
sunset is ths inscriptions:
MARGARET PICKENS De ROCHELLE.
DEC. 24rn, 1864.
When South Carolina seeded from
the Union and lit the fire OF the civil
war hergovernor was Francis w. Pick
ems, u member OF the sIave-holding
aristocraey that boasted OF Its blue
blood, and, like the feudal system OF
men and women. To that rank Gov
ernor Pickens was entitled, and of
all the fair and lovable women to
whom his distinguished family had
given birth no one was sweeter or
more beautiful than the daughter
who, when Major Anderson lowered
the flag on Sumter, was budding into
a charming womanhood. 1t has been
truly said that the war was prolong-
ed by the courage and per5stency
with which the women of the South
imbued the men. No history has
ever adequately told the sacrifices
that they made, the suffering that
thay m iontl1, a,,I,,c.l -, nt,.,,.. ..-l
prompt the soldiers and sailors who
served under the banner of the best
cause. Nowhere between the Poto.
mac and the Mexican Gulf was their
spirit OF answering devotion more
manifest and active than in the cap
ital OF the keystone State OF the
Southern Confederacy; and there was
no patriotic project mooted in which
women could share to which Margaret
Pickens did not contribute.
Turning back to the Charleston
newspapers OF the war epoch, her
name is found hundred TINES upon
their worn and fading pages. In 1862
the women Of the city turned their
jewelry, their diamonds-gems that
had come down to them from their
Huguenot and English ancestors
their silver plate and innumerable ar
ticles OF brio ,a-brac into the money
that paid for the ironclad ship-of, war
Palmetto State that on January 81,
1863. sunk the United States gun
boat Mercedita in battle in Charles
ton Harbor. In the enterprise ofrais-
ing the construction fund Margaret
Pickens was proficient and untiring.
She stripped herself of her jewelry,
and she figured in a leading capacity
at the fair or bazaar at which the wom.
en- sold their treasures that ''The La
dies" Gunboat" might be built A
bright young Englishman, who
had come into Charleston as
an officer OF one OF the blockade
runners. saw her on that occasion and
wo1shiped her through the medium OF
n letter to q friend in Liverpool that
found its way into the columns OF the
Liverpool Mercury. He wrote;
"I have seen tonight the loveliest
girl that my eyes ever gazed upon and
the sight OF her was worth the guinea
OF u sailors wages that paid for the
queer little flower that Ireceived from
her hand and that is lying before me
as | write. The picture OF her lace
which l hold in memory would make
me willing at any time to take the
chances OF being caught or shot to
pieces by the Yankees in lodging the
blockade. She is rather tall, clean
built as Shanghai clipper, her eyes
and hair are nut-brown and her voice
as soft as that OF any OF the Minorca
girls"
For nineteen months, beginning with
June, 1868, Charleston suffered the
most prolonged and tremendous born
bardment ever inflicted upon any
American city All the lower part Of
the town was swept by day and night
by Gilmore's three hundred
pound shells and forsaken by its
population. The roar OF the artillery
fire upon Fort Sumter and the other
defensive works was we'll nigh inces-
SAINT, while the battles upon Morris
Island for the possession OF Fort Wag-
her and Battery Gregg, the frequent
skirmishes between the accommodating